SISYPHUS AND HIS BURDEN
TEMPERANCE
For I the Lord your God will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you’ (Isaiah 41: 13).
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus is known as the most clever and least scrupulous of mortals. His legend includes many episodes, each one of them being one of his trickery. Because of his behavior, it is told that Sisyphus made the gods angry. As punishment, they removed both his eyes and condemned him to rolling a huge boulder endlessly up a steep hill. Upon reaching the peak, the rock would roll back down the valley, but Sisyphus had to pick it and push it back up the hill again. It did not matter how many times he managed to roll the boulder find u himself. Even with his effort in pushing up the stone, sooner or later, he would still in the same place and would start again from scratch.
In the nets of intemperance, there are many who, like Sisyphus, feel the futility of their efforts as they endlessly carry great burdens or afflictions of physical, mental or spiritual nature. They try time and again to break away from them, but the awareness of having failed each one of the promises makes them feel that fighting is not worth the effort.
Lucy is a young lady who has suffered in the nets of bulimia and anorexia for six years. For years she had been fighting to overcome her illness by trying to recover her health that had already weakened tremendously. With professional help, she briefly managed to balance her eating behavior but nothing was powerful enough to change her inclinations. One night, however, she knelt and asked for heavenly help. She cried with anguish and sadness. She was aware of her weakness but she decided she would not stand up until she got the promised help. On her knees, in prayer, she had her first great victory. For the first time in many years, she felt free of her burden and now had the key to come out victorious time and again.
Today’s Bible verse carries an important promise to us. It is possible that we have felt defeated time and again with the same weaknesses but it does not have to be this way forever. All we need is to raise our hands to heaven and believe that God is ready to strengthen and support us. He tells us: «Fear not, I will help you,» even if He must fight over and over again. These words are addressed to you and me.
Let’s start today with the assurance that whatever inherited or personal tendencies we have, they can be defeated by the power that God is ready to offer.
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Taken from: Daily Devotions for Adults 2020
“A Cheerful Heart Is Good Medicine”
From: Julian Melgoza-Laura Fidanza
Colaboradores: Yidith C & Alejandra Zavala